Machine for the manufacture of small floor-parqueting blocks



. Filed y 1947 SMALL FLOOR-PARQUETING BLOCKS July '3, 1951 STALDER 2,559,378

MACHINE F01 THE MANUFACTURE OF 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 O 0 f3 I I 10 J o WVENTORr 4 Adolf stalder GB (IL-awn ATTOfLNESS July 3, 1951 Filed May 2, 1947 A. STALDER MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SMALL FLOOR-PARQUETING BLOCKS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INYENTOK:

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OLVWLW ATTOILNSSS Jul 3, 1951 STALDER 2,559,378

' MACHINE FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SMAL R- AR T L CKS Filed May 2, 1947 L FLOO P QUE ING B O. 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 mvemom Ado/f Sta/clan B5 ATTQRNEHS Patented July 3, 1951 OFFICE MACHINE Fog THE MANUFACTURE OF SMALL FLOOR-'PARQUETING BLOCKS Adolf Stalder, Eschlikon, Switzerland Application May 2, 1947, Serial No. 745,521 In Switzerland May 3, 1946 2 Claims.

For the assembly of floors composed of small parqueting strips or blocks very large numbers of such strips are required, so that the production of floors from small-size parqueting blocks is economically justifiable only if and when the necessary blocks can be manufactured with a maximum of accuracy and at the same time cheaply on automatic machines.

The object of the present invention is to create an eificient machine by means of which small floor-parqueting blocks can be manufactured with absolute accuracy and in very large quantities.

The machine in accordance with the invention is characterized by the fact that for machining the length, width and thickness of the small floor-parqueting blocks at least two saws or dividing saws in each case, said two saws being disposed at the requisite distance each from the other, are used, whereby at least one pair of dividing saws cuts off the blocks to exact length from a lath or slat whose cross-section is greater than that of the finished block, whereupon a holding device performing a circling movement seizes the piece so cut off and guides it in between two saws, so that two parallel sides'of the block are simultaneously machined exactly to size, the holding device then by suitable means relinquishing the block to a second rotating holding device, the latter being set in a plane forming an angle with the plane of the first holding device, which second holding device guides the block in between at least two further saws whichmachine the remaining two parallel sides of the block to exact size. The blocks can suitably be guided by the second holding device between two saws and a dividing saw in such manner that the blocks can be cut into two equal blocks or strips of half the original thickness. As bearing surfaces circular saws can be used which out not only at their front edge, but also laterally.

The annexed drawing illustrates two typical embodiments of the machine in accordance with the invention, in which:

Fig. l is the front elevation of the machine with the front cover removed to reveal the internal mechanism;

Fig. 2 is a vertical section along th line II-II' of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical section along the line III-III of Fig. 1

Figs. 3a and 3?; show the head of the connecting rod for the operation of the seeaw or oscillating device on which is mounted the motor with the dividing saw for cutting the pieces off the lath;

Fig. 4 is a vertical cross-section along the line IV-IV of Fig. 1

Fig. 5 is a view in plan of one of the work-holding plates;

Fig. 6 is a section through the work-holding or chuck plate on the vertical center line of Fig. 5;

Fig. '7 shows a pair of saws;

Fig. 8 shows three saws arranged side by side, the middle saw serving as a dividing saw;

Fig. 9 is a section similar to the section along line I-I in Fig. l, but represents an alternative embodiment in which the piece of work is moved automatically from one machining point to the other;

Fig. 10 is a partial View of the two work-holding' or chuck plates, whose respective planes stand at an angle each to the other, at the moment of transfer of the piece of work from the horizontal to the vertical work-holding plate;

Fig. 11 a view in plan of Fig. 10.

Conveyor rollers E5- secured to shafts 1 are mounted on the rail i which is secured by brackets 2 and 3 to the transverse channels 4 and 5. On the other side of the rail 11, chain sprockets 8 are secured to the shafts I, with which sprockets the chains 9 and it engage. By means of the rollers l3 the laths are pressed downwards against the rollers 6 which carry the laths H2 in the directions indicated by the arrows. Dividing saws i6 and i! are mounted on the motor l5, which is provided with two shaft-ends. The motor [5 is mounted on a see-saw or oscillating device l8 (Fig. 3) and is, as will be described presently, moved backwards and forwards. In the course of this reciprocal or oscillating movement the dividing saws l6 and I! cut off pieces it from the lath, which pieces then pass via the chutes 2i and 22 to the chuck plate 23. When the dividing saws have been pivoted to their rear position, the rollers 6' and i3 feed the piece of wood forward up to the stops 25 and 26. The stops 25 and 26 are adjusted in such manner that the fore end of the lath or slat I2 is also cut, in order to ensure that the length of the cut-off blocks it exactly corresponds to the distance between the dividing saws l6 and I7. If, for instance, a. knot or other defective portion exists in the lath E2, the stop 25 can, as shown in Fig. 3, be lowered so that the faulty piece is cut off by the innermost of the two dividing saws I6 and ii. The piece so cut off can then be seized and discarded by hand, or can be con veyed to the scrap heap by suitable means. The planes of the chuck plates 23 and 23a, Fig. 2, form an angle each with the other. The clamping device'sprovided on both chuck plates are approxi- 3 mately similar each to the other. Fig. 5 shows the chuck plate 23a in elevation and Fig. 6 shows it in section. Said chuck plate is provided with four fixed jaws in relation to which four movable jaws 23 are displaceably disposed. One jaw 21 and one jaw 28 form together a holder or chuck for the piece of work. Jaw 28, whose flanges 23 project over the chuck plate 23a, is guided by an intermediate member 38 in a slot 3I' of the huck plates 23 and 23a. By means of a compression spring 32 the jaws 23 are propelled away from" the jaWs 27, with the result that the chucking throat opens. To close said chucking throat a cam 35 is provided on which ride the roller 36 of the angle levers 31. To the other arm of the lever is fastened a spring 38 which is connected to the jaw 28. The gripping effect between jaws 2? and 28 therefore takes place as a result of the tension exerted by the spring 38. The dowels 38 serve to support the Work, so as to prevent the latter from coming to rest on sawdust or other surface irregularities. Under the chuck plate 23 a metal sheet 42 is disposed, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, on which the work I9 lies after sliding down the chute 2| and coming to rest in a position within one of the chuck throats. The work I9, clamped fast by the tension of the spring 38, is guided in between the saws 43 and MI and out exactly to the required thickness. The chuck plate 23 is keyed on to the vertical shaft 46, Fig. 2, which is journalled in the supporting frame 41. To the lower end of the shaft 43 is keyed the bevel gear wheel 48, said bevel gear wheel 48 standing in engagement with bevel gear wheel 49. The cam 35, which is so disposed as to be freely rotatable on the shaft 46 and is axially held by the thrust collar 53, is prevented from turning by the rod 52, which latter is secured to the side wall 53 of the machine. The shaft 54, horizontally journalled in the supporting frame 41 and carrying the bevel gear wheel H9, is driven by the V-belt pulley 53, which is transmissionally connected by the V- belt 5'! to the reduction gear 58, Fig. 1. On shaft 54 is located the chuck plate 23a, which rotates in a plane standing in angular relationship to that of chuck plate 23. Chuck plate 23a is designed as an exact copy of chuck plate 23 with the exception that chuck plate 23a possesses a slot 68 which enables two circular saws, and between the latter a dividing saw, to be used, as shown in Fig. 8. The gripper jaws 2? and 28 are likewise provided with a slot 32. This arrangement makes it possible not merely to machine the work transferred to.

chuck plate 23 on its two hitherto unmachined surfaces, but also and at the same time to subdivide it in two pieces. Clamping jaws 21 and 28 are controlled on chuck plate 23a by the cam 35a, which is held against turning by the bolt 52a. On shaft'54 is further located a spur gear 65 with which the spur gear 86 engages, the latter being half the size of spur gear 35. Spur gear 66 turns on stay-bolt ll, which is fixed in the arm 68 of the supporting frame or pedestal 11. Connected to spur gear 66 is a bevel gear wheel 69 which engages with bevel gear Wheel 18, the latter being secured to shaft I2. Shaft I2 is journalled in the bearing arm 13. On shaft I2 is located an eccentric cam I4, Figs. 1 and 3, on which collar or ring I5 is rotatably secured. Ring or collar 15 is con-- nected to a connecting rod I6 provided with an elongated eye 17 (Fig. 3a) with a slot 18. The bolt 19 of the lever arm 88 is able to slide in said slot it, said lever arm being secured to shaft 82 by means of the cotter pin 8| (Fig. 1). Shaft 82 is journalled in thebearings 85 and 86. On shaft- 4 82 is further located the see-saw or oscillating device I8, by means of its bearing arms 81. Connecting rod I8 is provided with a pawl 96 pivotally disposed on the fulcrum pin 9 I This pawl 98 can be pivoted from the position shown in Fig. 3b to the position shown in Fig. 3a, so that bolt I9 is movable within the slot I8. The pawl 90 is forced by spring 93 into the locking position shown in Fig. 3b, with the result that the bolt I3 is carried along by the rod '16 in the direction indicated by the arrow. On rotation of the eccentric cam 14 the see-saw or oscillating device I8, and with the latter the motor I5 together with the pairs I6 and I! of dividing saws, are pivoted through the angle w (Fig. 3). If it is desired to interrupt the pivotal movement of the dividing saws, the stop 95, which is displaceably located in the eye 95a, is moved to a point within the range of action of the pawl 88, this forcing the lower portion of the pawl 98 outside the range of action of the bolt 19, so that the latter becomes movable within the slot 18 and thus does not operate the see-saw or oscillating device.

Fig. 3 further shows the motor 85, on whose shaft the two saws 98, and the dividing saw disposed between them, are located, said saws serving to machine and subdivide the blocks of wood held in the chuck plate 23a.

Figs. 1 and i show how, by shaft E2, the righthand end of which is journalled in the pedestal 91, and via the bevel gear wheels 98, the vertical shaft as is driven, which, through the bevel gear wheels E88, drives the spur gear I82 which is located on the shaft I83, said shaft I83 bei ng journalled in the pedestal I84, Fig. 4. On shaft I83 is further located the chain sprocket wheel I which, through the chain 9, Fig. 1, drives the sprocket wheels 8 and consequently the rollers 6, which rollers 6 feed forward the lath which, by means of the counter-rollers I3, is pressed downwards upon the feed rollers 6. For the drive of the rollers 6a by the chain Ii! a second shaft 183a is journalled in the pedestal I84, said shaft 13w being driven by the spur gear IflZa which engages with the spur gear I82; on said shaft I83a is located the chain sprocket I85a which drives the chain I8. The drive of the two saws 43 and 44 is provided for, as shown in Fig. l, by the motor N18,; The said motor I88 is pivotally disposed on the bolt H2 by means of intermediate members 39,;

H8 and I I I, so that replacement of the saws can be effected at any time without it being necessary to remove the chuck plate 23.

With the machine described in accordance with Figs. 1 to 8 the work is guided by gravity feed, if necessary in conjunction with pressure air, from one machining point to the other, and is, as is shown in Fig. 1, discharged from the machine by means of guide plates H3 and H4.

Figs. 9, 10 and 11 illustrate an alternative embodiment of the machine. The feed of the blocks of wood from the channel 2| to the chuck plate, 23b takes place automatically by means of the pusher I I5, which is carried in'the eyes I I6 of the supporting frame 41 and whose roller II! is pressed by the spring H8 against the eccentric and 230 differ from the chuck plates 23 and 23 in the fact that the clamping jaws 21a and 280g.

of chuck plate 230, and the clamping jaws 21b and 28b of chuck plate 23b, as shown in Figs. and 11, are so shaped that they can mutually engage. By suitably designing the shape of the eccentric cams 35 and 35a it is possible to close the clamping jaws of chuck plate 230 before the clamping jaws of the chuck plate 231) have released the work, so that the piece of wood is automatically transferred from chuck plate 23b to chuck plate 230. The ejection of the finished blocks of wood is effected by the ejector lever I25, which is provided with a projection I26. The lever I25 pivots on a fulcrum pin I21 which is secured to the supporting frame 41; the said lever I25 is provided with a roller I28 which rides on the eccentric cam I29 of the chuck plate 230 and is pulled by the spring I 30 towards the eccentric cam I29. Simultaneously with the opening of the clamping jaws 28a, and when the cam I29 is moved out of the way the lever I25 is swung 1 by the spring I30 and the projection I26 is caused to strike against the block of wood I9a, with the result that the latter is discharged through the channel I 3|.

I claim:

1. In a machine for the manufacture of small floor-parqueting blocks; two chuck plates for treating the blocks in two positions extending at right angles to each other and having an interchanging position for the transfer of blocks from one chuck plate to the other, each chuck plate comprising a rotary disc, each disc having a plurality of fixed jaws firmly connected therewith and protruding therefrom, a movable jaw for each fixed jaw coacting to form a jaw pair, and

spring means urging one movable jaw toward the corresponding fixed jaw of the pair; means rotating one of the discs in a horizontal plane and the second disc in a plane at to the plane of the first disc with a jaw pair of the second disc below and close to a jaw pair of the first disc at said interchanging position, cam means for the first disc moving the movable jaw of the jaw pair in said interchanging position away from the fixed jaw of that pair against the action of the spring means to release a block held by the jaw pair, and cam means to close the jaws of the jaw pair of the second disc in said interchanging position upon receipt of the block released by the jaw pair of the first disc.

2. In a machine for the manufacture of small floor-parqueting blocks according to claim 1 in which each coacting jaw pair of the second disc is characterized by having a transverse slot formed in the outer ends thereof, the slot extending inwardly toward the body of the disc, and a saw fitting into said slot to cut in half the blocks held by the jaw pairs of the second disc.

ADOLF STALDER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in th file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS Country Date Great Britain Aug. 17, 1872 Number Number 

